Open-world titles have always appealed to me. The freedom such games give is exactly the kind of virtual sandbox I crave in a video game. This isn’t to say I prefer only open-world titles, but they certainly have an appeal that’s difficult to beat. Nowadays they seem to be quite common. Many lack enough depth to compel gamers to keep coming back or generate enough simplistic fun to likewise keep us hooked. Ghost Recon: Wildlands is closer to the latter, and while it does have its weaknesses, this is a game that keeps me coming back time and again.
Ghost Recon games have always been a refreshing challenge compared to more fast-paced series like Call of Duty or Battlefield, often requiring players to rely more on stealth tactics and squad-based gameplay. In fact, most games under the infamous Tom Clancy banner often emphasize realism over more Hollywood-style, arcade action. This has never been a criticism from me, but Clancy games always tend to require more patience and planning in their methodology. Not everyone will find the appeal of Clancy games, but most recognize their high-quality standards. In fact, it’s rare I find myself disappointed by a title with the Clancy banner, and most gamers agree.
Wildlands is a largely different beast from previous Ghost Recon titles, however. While it still retains the stealth emphasis, the action is much more chaotic than previous games. Engaging enemies guns blazing may prove to be the more dangerous option, but the designers leave it up to players to decide how they approach scenarios. This gives players tremendous freedom in an already huge open-world title. I personally have always leaned more towards a guns blazing strategy, but the risk/reward element to Wildlands will encourage even the most die-hard action fans to try different tactics than they’re used to.
The premise is simple enough. Players take control of a member of Delta Company, a fictional military group from the United States tasked with eliminating a large drug cartel dominating the country of Bolivia. If you choose to play solo, you’ll have three AI teammates alongside you. Their personalities (as well as your player’s) lack depth and don’t add much to the story, but then again – this game is far more about the gameplay than its narrative. This might seem like a criticism, but I don’t mind it. When a game is this fun, you tend to care less about its story. Your AI teammates’ banter is often entertaining, though. And the bosses have some pretty unique personalities, which adds to the otherwise fairly simplistic narrative.
Playing cooperatively online with friends is definitely the preferred method. It wasn’t until I started playing with my cousin that I realized how much fun it could be with real teammates. The AI teammates are somewhat helpful, but their reliability can vary. Often they would fail to engage enemies up close and needed too much micromanaging in firefights. But they are crack shots and will revive you quickly, which helps on the more difficult engagements. They do have an uncanny ability to eliminate marked targets, all with perfect synchronization. This feature alone makes it worth playing solo, too. Still, given the choice, playing with friends is probably the best way to play. There’s just so many more options by playing with live players, and communication is key to successful execution in Wildlands. And needless to say, with real players injected there is a propensity to discover how comical and chaotic this game can be.
Graphically speaking, Bolivia is a gorgeous, huge world. There are mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts, and mixtures of jungle and forests. It’s a massive world with plenty to do. The detail to characters, weapons, explosions, and vehicles are all impressively rendered. The framerate is generally smooth and consistent, which serves the game well considering how chaotic the action can become. I can’t say I was wowed by the character models, but they do the job. Customizing your character is a bit limiting by today’s standards, but I was satisfied by the options given. And you can still partially modify their appearance even after settling on a core look.
While the scale of the world may seem overwhelming, the addition of fast travel points and plenty of vehicles, helicopters, and aircraft offer quick ways to get around. Despite the vastness presented, it never feels tiresome or tedious. I was worried I would lose interest exploring such a vast world, but there’s plenty of good reasons to keep coming back. I found myself quite content searching out new villages for intelligence and points to upgrade my players’ skills and weapons. Tagging supplies and taking down convoys oddly never gets old for me. All of the side missions and regular enemy encounters keep things from getting dull.
The local rebels will also become a resource as you aid them with side missions and pinpointing supplies for them to pick up. In turn, you’ll unlock reinforcements that can be called in at any time, whether its additional fighters or a mortar strike, or simply use them as a means to divert enemy fire from your team. When it seems like the entire nation is descending on you and your squad, every extra ounce of firepower you can enlist is a good thing. I can recall a particularly challenging fortress my cousin and I was attacking, finding ourselves outgunned initially. Calling in rebel fighters to assist helped take some of the heat off us, which allowed us to commander a chopper and rain hellfire down on the enemy militia and win the engagement.
This review is technically incomplete, as I am not even halfway through completion of the game. But the beauty of this game is quickly evident in its simplistic, yet engaging design. It’s not without its flaws, of course. The missions can lack variety at times. The vehicles handle like they’re sliding on ice, which is problematic at first. Over time, players will adapt to them, but it’s definitely the weakest aspect of this game. But the gunplay is excellent, the visuals are spectacular, and the game offers plenty of reasons to keep coming back. If nothing else, the unpredictability of operations leads to some memorable moments. In my time playing Wildlands, I’ve surmised how it captures the heart of gaming at its core; having fun and creating moments that leave you laughing and grinning from ear to ear. It’s challenging enough to make players want to keep progressing but accessible enough that newcomers won’t be turned off.
There’s plenty of DLC to add to the already enormous world of Bolivia, not to mention the inclusion of a 4v4 player versus player mode (which I have yet to try). The extra content also includes additional options to modify your game, like the removal of HUD and the increased difficulty. Considering how vast the standard game already is, all the additional content gives gamers like me reasons to keep coming back for awhile.
Good games are not always perfect, but they have to possess enough merit to keep players engaged. Wildlands has a lot to offer and stands out as one of the best co-op titles available now. This is one I’ll keep coming back to for a while. Bolivia needs a lot of help from drug lords, apparently, so if you’ll excuse me – I’ve got some bad dudes to kill.
Final Score: 8.8/10
Jon Hand Thoughts 